Marie Clare - January 2005

Everyones talking about: Julian Rhind-Tutt

Green Wing made Julian Rhind-Tutt a heart-throb. Now he's at it again in the BBC's 1970s saga The Rotters' Club.
By Sophie Wilson

Thanks to the Green Wing, you're now hot stuff. Do girls ever ask you to autograph obscure body parts?
Not that I'm aware of...but there's still plenty of time left for that.

At 36, does it feel strange to suddenly make it big?
I've been the 'next big thing' for about 10 years, so I'm quite jaded about it. I have a habit of working withextremely talented high-profile people and being in the worst example of their work.

You've not harmed the careers of Sienna Miller (Keen Eddie) or Daniel Craig (The Trench)
Yes, I urge more people to work with me. I'm a tremendous springboard.

You've done theatre at the National. Did you make a conscious decision to move into TV comedy?
No. the only reason I made was to do a lot of subtitled, European arthouse movies, which meant I had to spend a long time
tidying my bedroom.

And now you're in the Rotters' Club. Were you a fan of the novel?
Yes, it's excellent. It creeps up on you as a gentle tale about adolescence and then you're sucked into a detailed exploration of Jonathon Cole's world view.

Who do you play in the series?
A bit of a poncey art teacher. My character attempts to seduce women with his ego and intellect. I got to wear some pretty extraordinary 1970s shirts.

How were the 1970s for you?
I grew up in London, near Heathrow airport. I remember my brothers getting ready to go out and meet girls, putting on their Denim aftershave.

Tell us about your next film project, Rabbit Fever.
It's a mockumentary in the tradition of Christopher Guest films. It follows the lives of various couples where the woman is
addicted to the Rampant Rabbit vibrator and her husband is trying to deal with it. I get to play a rather uptight husband.

So, what's your opinion on vibrators?
I think you have to embrace them, incorporate them into your...general life.

Are you in a relationship right now?
With a vibrator? In a way, I suppose, yes. Seriously though... [pauses] I do have a girlfriend at the moment. Her name is Tara Summers and she plays my wife in Rabbit Fever.

So, any plans to settle down in real life? Would you like to have kids?
Very much so. I guess it's really just a question of finding the right moment.

What's next on the agenda for you?
What I'd like to do is another subtitled arthouse movie, but I'll probably end up doing another series of Green Wing

Your hair has become a trademark.
Can you see men going to the barber and asking for a 'Julian'? Somebody actually asked me on Halloween if I was
wearing a wig, so I shouldn't think that's very likely.